Beyond the Reach: Episode 1
by StephenMcTowelie
Summary: As full-scale war rages between the Volm and Espheni humans and rebel skitters find themselves in the crossfire. The 2nd mass begins to consolidate the human resistance to take back the planet. An alternate version of Season 4; If Anne and Lexi had remained dead and the Volm were still around. Episode I completed.


_Author's Notes: This story is the first of potentially twelve in a alternative version of what Season 4 of the show could have been. It starts off where Season 3 left off only Anne and Lexi were truly dead, Karen's gift to Tom was simply returning the bodies. The Volm are active and in full force and will remain in play (at least for the first 4-5 episodes) Will be definitely finishing this first episode and depending on it's reception may go on ahead and write the rest of the season as I am already working on one Falling Skies themed story already._

Beyond The Reach: Episode 1 - After The Fire

131st Dropship Battalion, 8th Volm Battle Fleet

Irkutsk, Russian Federation

A group of approximately seventeen Volm troop transport gunships flew close to ground level through a blistering snowstorm. Sporadically the gunships would open fire with bluish-white hot energy bursts towards enemy forces their scans had picked up in the area they were closing in on. At higher altitudes several dozen sleek, silvery, boomerang shaped Volm interceptors engaged with a squadron of Espheni beamers. A scattered patch of skitters and mechs sighted on instrumentation was now confirmed visually ahead of the gunships. The first two gunships descended closer to the surface, opened side hatches and heavily armed and armored Volm soldiers jumped out. The small wing like protrusions on their battle armor glowed yellow through vertical slits in the bottom of them when the soldiers' maglevs initiated, slowing their descent to allow them to make a safe landing and hit the ground running. A mech rocket struck the third ship in the formation, causing it to stagger and wobble yet it remained on course to drop more soldiers into the fight. The Volm soldiers opened fire with their plasma rifles taking down a mech and several skitters ahead of them. As the Volm ground forces thickened one of the gunships was hit by direct fire from a beamer swooping in. The front section of the gunship exploded and it crashed into the snow, trailing debris in its wake. After clearing the initial squads of Espheni forces the Volm leading the charge were snatched and pulled down by skitters hiding in a deep snow drift. "Thermals on! They're under the snow!" A Volm company commander ordered via their integrated communications system in their armor. The Volm soldiers switched something on the sides of their helmets and their sight changed allowing them to pick up heat signatures. The soldiers gunned down the skitter ambush but their infrared sensors picked up something massive ahead of them through the dense curtain of snowfall. As they drew closer it became apparent what it was. A great column of mechs and mega-mechs was waiting for them along with several fixed Espheni anti-air cannons. One of the cannons opened fire, taking down a Volm interceptor in a ball of blue flame. "We can't turn back now! Send for reinforcements, I'm pressing the assault!" the company commander called back to the battalion commander on one of the gunships.

Outskirts of Charleston, SC, United States

The war-wearied 2nd mass had finally arrived back at their new home. Charleston never looked more inviting. Tom Mason stopped to allow everyone else to catch up with him on the small hill northwest of the city. They had scored a major victory, but it was not without a terrible price. Anne and Lexi were both dead. Killing Karen when she came to return their bodies as a "gift" felt satisfying only for a short while but did not even begin to mask the grief that Tom was feeling. His contemplations were interrupted by John Pope who came upon behind him and made his presence known in his characteristic boisterous voice laden heavy with the sass. "I figured you would be in more of a hurry to get back, Mr. President." Pope commented while putting his hand firmly on Tom's shoulder. "I'm not the President anymore, Pope." Tom replied. "Oh, but I'm sure you've got your eye back on the title again. Wouldn't be hard for you to get it back. You'd come strolling in there like the new General Washington and everyone would be like, Tom Mason, hero of the resistance!" Pope proclaimed. "Even though we did most of the fighting." Pope added, grumbling under his breath. "Can we do this some other time? I'm in no mood for your games Pope." Tom growled back. "Oh forgive me your highness, just making light of the situation. I'm walking away now. Wouldn't want to offend." Pope sarcastically declared as he put his hands up and backed away. Pope then walked off to join the rest of his berserkers. Weaver approached Tom and joined him looking out towards Charleston. "Don't let him get to you. I know it's been a rough road for you and all but look at it this way, none of it was in vain. The Volm have got the fish heads confined up in the tundra and we now have a chance to shore up our defenses down here. Instead of scavenging we can get our own industry up and running again to supply the war effort, grow our own food, hell, maybe even get a little bit of civilization back while we're at it." Weaver said. "You're right, but we can't just sit back and let the Volm fight our war for us." said Tom. "I agree. We're going to get back in the fight, this time we can do it on our own terms, not the fish heads." Weaver replied. "As for now, I think you can use a drink. I've got something special in my private reserve that has been waiting for such an occasion." Weaver continued as they started down the hill along with the rest of the 2nd Mass that had caught up with them.

Further down the line Hal and Maggie walked with a group of other fighters. Lourdes ran up beside Hal opposite the side where Maggie was. "Hal, I'd just like to thank you for sticking up for me when I had the eyeworms. A lot of people wanted to execute me and you got them to change their minds. Thank you." Lourdes said cheerfully. "Who you really should be thanking are the Volm. If it wasn't for them you would've had to eat Skitter excrement like I did." Hal joked. "Oh, the forlorn tales of the formerly eye wormed." Maggie complained. "Now, now there Mags. I recall you standing up for me when I had the bug. Wouldn't be right of me not to return the favor to one of our fellow brothers and sisters in arms." Hal said. "Well I'll leave you two alone. Bye Hal." Lourdes said and then departed.

The next day Tom, Weaver and Generals Porter and Bressler met in the war room to discuss strategy. "No one's seen as much as a mech or beamer in weeks Tom. Looks like your Volm friends really came through for us." Porter said. "I was thinking we might want to start reaching out to any other militias out there." Tom suggested. "Read my mind, son. Strength in numbers, start trade between settlements now that the roads are safer than they were before." Porter replied. Just then a solider escorting Matt barged in. "Sorry sir, but he says it's really urgent." the soldier said. "What is it Matt?" Tom asked. "It's about Ben. Dad, I think he plans on leaving with the Skitters, for good this time." Matt told him. Tom looked over at Weaver. "Go on ahead Tom, we've got this covered." Weaver told him.

Ben paced nervously in the empty gray cinder block room waiting for his father. He had promised Matt he wouldn't leave without speaking to him first. Tom came in alone and approached Ben. "Matt says you're leaving. Is that true?" he asked in more of a relaxed tone than Ben expected. "Dad, I was going to tell you before I left. I just didn't want you to try and talk me out of it." Ben said. Ben stopped pacing but still his nervous arm motions gave away that there was a lot on his mind. "With the Skitters, right?" Tom asked, his forehead wrinkling up inquisitively though he knew the answer. "Yeah, the rebel skitters don't trust the Volm and they don't feel safe here either. Not all humans are as understanding as we are. They are heading out west to start a settlement of their own. I'm not sure where exactly but it's likely going to be somewhere around San Francisco. The Bay Area has been abandoned since after the invasion so it's safe for them there." Ben explained. "And you're going clear across the country to live among them?" Tom asked. He had already lost Anne and one child; he did not want to lose another. With that great of distance between them in the state the world was in now he would have no idea what was going on with Ben and if he was alright. He was right about some humans being hostile towards the rebel skitters, and it was hostility from people, not aliens, that Tom feared would come against his son. "Not just live among them, Dad, they want me to lead them." Ben elucidated. "Lead them? Isn't that a job best suited for a Skitter?" Tom inquired. "Between Red Eye and Paint Face I've spent more time with the rebel leadership than any of the others. They have nowhere to go, many of them have only recently broken free of the harness with the Volm's incursion severely hampering their former masters' ability to control them. They're scattered and afraid and look to me for guidance. They also recognize that when this war is over human-skitter relations are going to be of paramount importance. Who better to forge a link between our species than someone who has been there since the beginning?" Ben explained. "I know I can't stop you, and if this is what you have your mind set on then you have my blessing. The skitters took care of you before when you fought with them, I trust they will take care of you now. Promise me you'll look after yourself and don't forget your human family while you're out there." Tom said after a minute or two of thought. "I won't Dad." Ben said. "You are right about one thing." Tom spoke up as Ben picked up his duffel bag and started to walk away. "When this war is over we're going to have to learn to coexist with the skitters left behind. That's something we will both have to work towards." Tom continued.

Later that week while the people of Charleston started to rebuild a piece of what had been lost to the Espheni a Volm personnel transport touched down in a field outside of Charleston. The sentries on duty sent for the most experienced inter-species negotiators they had, which were at the time Tom and Colonel Weaver. Tom and Weaver quickly arrived on the scene with a small security detail. "Yep, it's Volm alright." Weaver stated, noting the ships design. Volm tech was more mechanical in its nature as opposed to the bio-organic devices of the Espheni. "We shouldn't keep them waiting." Tom suggested. He and Weaver then walked out onto the field and approached the Volm ship. When they were halfway there Cochise emerged from the ship alone and walked out to meet Tom and Weaver. "Hello old friend. How have you been?" Tom greeted Cochise cheerfully. "I am well Tom Mason." Cochise replied. "Just stopping in to say hello I presume?" Tom asked. "I believe I am unfamiliar with the concept you are referring to. Travelling the distance from the front line to Charleston just to say hello would seem like a waste of resources." Cochise replied in confusion. "I was sent here by my father as the liaison officer to the human resistance on this continent." Cochise explained. "I thought the Volm had everything under control. You just changed your mind and decided you need us now?" Weaver asked cynically. "It's a little more complex than that. If we could speak privately I will explain." Cochise replied. "Sure. Follow me." Tom said. Tom led Cochise and Weaver back into Charleston. Once they were within the safety of the city the Volm transport took off and left.

In the briefing room, Tom, Weaver, General Porter and Cochise gathered over the table where the 2nd Mass had its maps and charts laid out. "The Volm have nearly driven the Espheni forces out of North America with the exception of the territory you call Alaska and some parts of Canada that are behind our main battle lines. We are very close to declaring this entire hemisphere of the planet a safe zone." Cochise explained. "Explains why we haven't seen so much as a beamer for the past seven days. Looks like we get the safety of Brazil without having to leave home after all." Weaver commented. "Indeed. With the exception of a handful of rogue skitter platoons there are a thousand miles between you and the enemy. Charleston truly is beyond the reach of the Espheni." Cochise continued. "That's great news." Tom exclaimed. . "However on the largest landmass of your planet we have encountered much heavier resistance than we expected. The Espheni have begun to mount a counteroffensive both in eastern Russia and south from the Scandinavian countries. Volm forces have taken heavy losses in these regions so we are being forced to reposition our North American assets to Eurasia in order to contain the Espheni advance. Furthermore my father insists that all major operations conclude in three months as much of our fleet will be needed in other theaters elsewhere in the galaxy." Cochise told them. "So we've got to step up and fill the void then." Weaver declared. "Yes. The Volm will require human forces to purge the remaining Espheni forces from the Canadian wilderness behind our lines and assist us in the final push through to Alaska." Cochise explained. "We'll do what we can." Tom replied. "One month they want to send us to the tropics and the next they want to send us to the tundra. I'm in; just tell me when we're leaving." Weaver said. "What about the Canadians, do they have any militia groups that could help us?" Tom asked. "So far the Canadian militias have been unwilling to cooperate with the Volm. There does not exist the level of trust as between you and I, Tom Mason." Cochise answered. "They might be more willing to work with you if they were dealing with someone with a human face. I'll lead the force to Canada and maybe I can make inroads with these militias." Tom proposed. "Now hold on a minute Tom. You've done a lot for this war. Hell, you've probably been the one to turn it around for us. This time I can't let you go. There's so much here left to do in order to rebuild civilization. To be frank I see you as less of the George Washington of our time and more of the Thomas Jefferson, or someone you share a name with, George Mason. Point is we're going to need someone with your temperament and pedigree in order to reestablish civil society here; otherwise we might end up under the thumb of warlords or a tin pot dictatorship when the war with the Espheni is over. Besides you've got a family to look after here. I'd strongly urge you to reconsider." General Porter advised Tom. "As much as I value you by my side I'm inclined to agree with General Porter. Matt's seen more than enough war for a boy his age. It's time for him to have somewhat of a normal childhood with his father. I'll take Maggie along to keep me in check. She's been itching for a fight and has a damn good gut sense when it comes to the skitters. I got this Tom." Weaver said putting his hand on Tom's shoulder. "In that case I'll stay." Tom reluctantly agreed. "Hal will probably want to come along if Maggie's going." Tom mentioned. "I'll take him if he's willing, so long as that's fine with you." Weaver replied. "I let Ben go and live with the Skitters, Hal's old enough to make his own decisions. Take good care of him Dan." Tom said. "Now you go win the war. I'll make sure you have something here worth winning it for when you get back." Tom told Weaver. The briefing was then dismissed and each of them went their separate ways.

4th Saskatchewan Militia Regiment

Northern Saskatchewan Province, Canada

A unit of about forty soldiers scattered out in the dense pine forest as a legion of skitters came rushing in. When the skitters passed through gunfire erupted from in and behind the trees and underbrush on all sides. The skitters not snared by the envelopment rushed the human attackers, crawled up the trees and jumped back down onto the militiamen. "We've got a man down!" shouted one soldier after killing a skitter that had wounded his comrade. "Riley! We've got a mech incoming!" shouted a sniper in one of the treetops. "I'm on it!" Lieutenant Riley Parker replied. He slung his M4 carbine over his shoulder and picked up his M32 multi-shot grenade launcher. Mech fire tore through the trees, ripping through militiamen and several unfortunate skitters alike before the mech itself was visually sighted coming through the forest. Just as Riley raised his weapon to fire a Volm fighter soared overhead and bombed the location. The bombs burst in a great fireball that consumed both the Espehni forces and the men of the 4th Saskatchewan leaving nothing behind but burning timber and ash.


End file.
